The present invention relates to an improved ligature, which is a device used to secure reeds to the table of woodwind musical instruments, such as, but not limited to, B-flat clarinets, Bass clarinets, E-flat clarinets, Alto clarinets, Alto saxophones, tenor saxophones and baritone saxophones.
In musical instruments, it is a matter of special knowledge that small and apparently trivial adjustments of the ligature with respect to the reed may be important and can frequently greatly alter the tone and timbre of the woodwind instrument. As a result, the mounting and actual contact of the ligature with the reed has proved to be very important to the sound produced by the reed. In addition, the need for greater adjustment flexibility is enhanced by the fact that reeds can be purchased in various sizes and, even with reeds of allegedly the same size, there are often subtle differences in size and shape and in tonal production capacity.
Various conventional ligatures have been developed for the purpose of optimizing the fidelity of sound reproduction from such woodwind instruments. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,449,868 (Miller), 1,615,549 (Miller), 2,811,888 (Stone), 2,837,003 (Collis) and 3,150,554 (Leloup) teach the use of a ligature with a limited number of contact points (of limited size) so as to reduce the dampening effect which the contact points between the ligature and the reed (i.e., the loci of pressure) has upon the vibration of the reed. However, such conventional devices normally permit the adjustment of such contact points with respect to the instrument and/or the surface of the reed only by moving the entire ligature with respect to the instrument.
Other conventional devices have permitted some further adjustment of the ligature by teaching the use of ligatures having contact members which can be moved with respect to the rest of the ligature by slidably adjustable means within a slot or upon a track, see, for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,413,884 (Sciacca), 2,499,855 (Gambel), 2,292,584 (Tafarella), and 1,446,623 (Humes). However, these prior devices do not provide sufficiently limited contact areas, produce unwanted side effects and/or are unduly cumbersome and complex in construction and operation.
Now, however, it has been discovered that this invention provides a fully adjustable yet simple ligature having limited contact with the reed and a greater amount of flexibility in determining the relative positions of the instrument, reed and ligature contact points so as to easily permit the reed to provide a greater variety of tonal qualities. It is believed that an experienced musician can obtain a more melodious, sonorous and deep tonal quality from his instrument with this invention than with prior ligatures.